Creole Cream Cheese

This week I made a batch of creole cream cheese for a cheesecake I’m going to make later this weekend. Usually I buy it at Dorignac’s but it’s really easy to make at home. I use the recipe from my Arnaud’s cookbook, but it’s generally the same in any cookbook you go by.

Directions:Dissolve the rennet tablets in 1/2 cup of warm water. They will fizz and with a little stirring, disappear.Get out a *huge* glass or stainless bowl (not aluminum) and combine the rennet water, buttermilk, and milk. Stir well to combine, and cover with Saran:

This will need to be on the counter (not in the refrigerator) for anywhere from 24-36 hours, to give it time to separate into curds and whey.

After it’s separated, take a giant colander and line with a couple of layers of dampened cheesecloth, and place into the sink. Carefully pour everything into the colander. Lots of the whey will drain out:

Once it’s ready, put the colander into a roasting pan (cover it all with Saran again), and put it in the refrigerator.

The first day, lots more whey will come out, so empty the roasting pan whenever you check on it:

After about 48 hours, the creole cream cheese will be ready to use:

Using a spoon, scoop it out into a bowl – see how nice and shiny and wet it is? That’s good creole cream cheese. It can be used for up to a week (just keep it covered with Saran in the refrigerator).

It’s nice for breakfast with a tiny splash of half & half, a sprinkle of sugar, and some fruit. This was my breakfast this morning: